Allina News

[Minnesota Public Radio - Midmorning, Dec. 24, 2009] The light is gradually returning, but not fast enough for those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder. Midmorning talks to Allina Medical Clinic psychologist Dr. Alan Steed about what separates SAD from other forms of depression, and what researchers are learning about the most effective treatments. See more at mpr.org or listen below.

MPR Midmorning – Seasonal Affective Disorder w/Dr. Alan Steed

Tim O'Neill is a pianist and father of two preemie babies. He came up with The Christmas Lullabies CD after his own children seem to benefit from hearing the music.

[WCCO 4 News, Dec. 22, 2009] A Christmas CD is helping to soothe babies at Abbott Northwestern Hospital this holiday season. Tim O’Neill is a pianist and father of two preemie babies. He came up with The Christmas Lullabies CD after his own children seem to benefit from hearing the music. See the story at wcco.com or click below.

[Allina Newsroom, Dec. 23, 2009] Allina Hospitals & Clinic’s Virginia Piper Cancer Institute (VPCI) Radiation Oncology Clinic at Abbott Northwestern Hospital has completed installation of the Trilogy Linear Accelerator with RapidArc™, a fast, precise form of radiation therapy treatment using advanced technology. This will be the second Trilogy Linear Accelerator at VPCI’s Abbott Northwestern Hospital location. Read more »

[Northfield News, Dec. 22, 2009] Local health care providers are opening their H1N1 vaccine supplies to the general population following new recommendations from the state.

Northfield’s Allina Medical Clinic will offer the vaccine to the public, Clinic Manager Barb Barlau said, as will the Northfield Hospital and Clinics, said spokesman Scott Richardson on Tuesday. Read the whole story at northfieldnews.com.

[St. Paul Legal Ledger Capitol Report, Dec. 22,2009] Woodbury has chosen Allina Hospitals & Clinics to provide medical direction for its police, fire and emergency services divisions.

The city chose Woodbury from among three area hospital organizations that submitted bids. “When staff compared the costs of each vendor for the services we deem necessary, Allina had the best value,” said J.B. Guiton, Woodbury EMS commander, in a press release. Read the full story at legal-ledger.com.

The 13th annual Lab-Bi-Dazzle Parade through the halls of United Hospital brought holiday cheer to patients.

[KARE-TV & KSTP-TV, Dec. 18, 2009] The holiday message spread to folks in St. Paul on Friday, where United Hospital staffers brought the holiday spirit to patients who may have to spend it here. They took part in the annual Lab-Bi-Dazzle, a Christmas parade through United’s hallways. See the story at kare11.com or watch below.

[Allina Newsroom, Dec. 19, 2009] Ophthalmologists at Allina’s Phillips Eye Institute are using a new minimally invasive alternative to traditional glaucoma therapies called Trabectome®. Phillips Eye Institute, part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, is the first Trabectome Center in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Read the full story at the Allina Newsroom.

[Northfield News, Dec. 18, 2009] Local health officials said a recalled batch of H1N1 vaccinations for children was not distributed in Northfield. The 800,000 pediatric immunization doses recalled by manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur were found through testing to lose potency in storage, but were not distributed to the Northfield Hospital and Clinics or Allina Medical Clinic in Northfield, officials there said. Read the full story at northfieldnews.com.

[Pierce County Herald, Dec. 17, 2009] The River Falls Area Hospital Foundation will launch a new fundraising campaign to purchase a LUCAS Chest Compression System, the latest in life-saving cardiac technology, for the hospital’s emergency department. Read the full story on piercecountyherald.com.

[KEYC-TV, Dec. 16, 2009] Center for Disease Control says, heart disease is the number one cause of death for Americans. But Minnesota sees totally different numbers. Allina’s Heart of New Ulm project is working to lower that number more.

New Ulm Medical Center Family Practitioner Dr. Charles Stephens says, “what we are trying to do is completely eliminate early heart disease, and we are defining that before the age 75.” See the whole story at www.keyc.tv or click below.

[Allina Newsroom, Dec. 17, 2009] The City of Woodbury has selected Allina Hospitals & Clinics to provide medical direction and training for the city’s police, fire and EMS divisions. Woodbury chose Allina from among three area hospital organizations that submitted responses to the city’s request for quotes. Read more »

[Allina Newsroom, Dec. 17, 2009] Allina clinics, including Aspen Medical Group, Quello Clinic and Allina Medical Clinic, are now making H1N1 flu vaccine available to all its patients provided that individual clinics have adequate supply of H1N1 vaccine on hand. Read more »

Kathie Shemon, RNC, a Care Navigator Nurse with Allina Home & Community Services.

[Star Tribune, Dec. 16, 2009] Kathie Shemon, RNC, is a Care Navigator Nurse with Allina Home & Community Services. She talks about her job and how she helps patients find the help they need in the Allina system in an interview on the StarTribune.com Jobs: Healthcare web site. Read the whole Q & A on startribune.com.

People line up for H1N1 vaccine at public immunization clinic. (KARE11 photo)

[KARE11, Dec. 16, 2009] The number of H1N1 cases in Minnesota may continue to drop, but experts still recommend people exercise caution over the holidays.

“If you have respiratory symptoms — cough, sore throat, a temperature of over 101 – you ought to be distancing yourself from everyone, particularly people who are vulnerable,” said Dr. Frank Rhame, an Infectious Disease expert with Allina Hospitals.

Rhame urges people to sit out of the holiday celebrations, if they suspect they have H1N1 flu. Read the story online at kare11.com or watch the full story below.

[Allina Newsroom, Dec. 16, 2009] City and county officials joined Fridley medical community leaders for groundbreaking ceremonies today on Allina Hospitals & Clinics’ Unity Hospital campus. The event marked the start of construction on the $14 million Fridley Medical Center. The two-story, 60,000-square-foot medical office building will provide expanded facilities for Multicare Associates’ primary care and specialty clinic, presently housed in a 43-year-old building adjacent to the Unity campus. Read more about the Fridley Medical Center in the Allina Newsroom and see video from the groundbreaking below from Allina Newsroom and WCCO.